Sprinkler-head



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SPRINKLER HEAD.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26. IEHQ A TTOR/VEVS HOLLIS BBANSCOMB LONG, "OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

SPRINKLER-HEAD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 10, 1919.

Application filed March 26, 1919. Serial'lto. 285,267.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOLLIS BRANSCOMB Lone, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sprinkler-Heads, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates generally to sprinkler heads and more particularly to fire extinguishing apparatus, my object being the provision of a sprinkler head embodying a novel construction whereby to increase its effectiveness and avoid all danger of its failure in action.

My invention especially resides in the connections or struts utilized between the clamping means and the pipe closing cap of a sprinkler head, and my invention aims not only at a novel construction of such connections or struts, but also has for its object the provision of a novel arrangement whereby two struts may be effectively utilized in connection with each sprinkler head for release of the pipe closing cap upon failure or collapse of either of the struts In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my present invention,

Figure 1. is a side elevation of the sprinkler head complete,

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of one part of one of the struts,

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the other part of one of the struts, and

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the pipe closingi cap removed.

eferring now to these figures, my invention is applied to a sprinkler head for fire extinguishing apparatus including a frame 10 which carries a threaded pipe-engaging extension 11, the upper open end of which extension 11 is normally closed by a cap 12, which fits and is held thereon, either with or without a suitable gasket 18 as may be needed. At its upper portion, the frame 10 has an internally threaded bearing 14 whose axis is alined with that of the extension 11,

for the reception of a pressure screw 15 which, as usual, supports an upper deflector 16.

The closing cap 12, as particularly seen in Fig. 4, is provided with a pair of hearing recesses 1 adjacent to one another, for the reception of the lower ends of the two struts, generally seen at 18 in Fig. 1, in con.- nected operative relation, each of these struts including plates 19 and 20, and the plates 19 having lower rounded end portions which seat in the bearing grooves 17 of the cap 12.

By reference to Fig. 1 it will be noted that each of the struts 18 is disposed at an angle, the-two struts diverging in an upward direction away from the closing cap 12, with their upper ends disposed for engagement by the bridge piece 21 at points adj acent the opposite ends of the said bridge piece, which latter is engaged at its center by the lower end of the pressure screw 15 so as to thus force the cap intotightly closed position and hold the same until one or the other of the struts collapse. At this point it should be particularly noted that in view of the particular disposition of these struts, collapse of either one of the pair of struts instantly releases the several parts and the cap 12 is forced bythe water pressure off of its seat, bringing the stream of water for upward movement against the distributer 16.

As above stated, the lower end 20 of the its respective end of the bridgepiece 21, the

inner portion of the two parts 19 and 20 of each strut overlapping one another in mutually bearing relationby virtue of the OE- set 23 of the part 20 adjacent its outer end, beneath which it has a rounded bearing 24 for the upper end 25 of the part 19. The part 19 is furthermore provided with a bracket 26 adjacent to which the inner free end 27, with its knife edge as seen in Fig. 3, extends, this bracket forming a support for the fusible solder 28 which thus normally extends around the inner end 27 of the part 20 and holds the parts in their mutually bearing relation above stated.

Thus in action it is obvious that the two struts 18 disposed and clamped as seen in Fig. 1, will serve to efi'ectivel hold the closing cap 12 in non-leaking re ation upon the upper end of the pipe-engaging extension 11 of the sprinkler head, and it 1s equally obvious that the parts will be instantly released for action in use, upon the failure or collapse of either of these struts, the action taking place upon the collapse of one or the other of the struts whose fusible solder 28 melts away suiiiciently to release the inner end 27 of its up er part 20.

Thus I avoi in a great measure the danger of relying upon a single fusible oint, deterioration of which may cause hardening of the material after long inaction, and prevent its ready response to surrounding heat, and it is to be observed that I accomplish the advantages stated with a simple inexpensive arrangement of a strong and durabie nature.

I claim 1. In a sprinkler head, a frame, a pipe closing cap, struts having bearing at one end on said ca and diverging from the cap, each of sai struts including two parts having bearing on one another, fusible solder normally connecting the parts of each of the struts, a bridge piece, the extremities of which engage the opposite ends of said struts, and a pressure screw having a threaded bearing in the frame and engaging said.

bridge piece at its center.

2. In a sprinkler head, a frame, a pipe closing cap, struts having bearing at one end on said cap and diverging from the cap, each of said struts including two parts having bearing upon one another and provided with a fusible connection, a bridge piece engaging the struts at opposite ends, and a pressure screw having a threaded bearing in the'frame and engaging the said bridge piece at a point between the adjacent ends of the struts.

3. In a sprinkler head, a frame, a pipe closing cap having bearing grooves in its surface adjacent to one another, struts having hearing at one end in the grooves of the closing cap and each including two fusibly connected parts lapping and having bearin on one another, the opposite ends of the said struts being spaced apart, and a bridge piece engaging the last mentioned ends of the struts, and a pressure screw having a threaded bearing in the frame andengaging the said bridge piece at a point between the adjacent ends of the struts.

4. In a sprinkler head, a frame, a pipe closing cap therein, a pressure screw having a threaded bearing in the frame, a bridge piece engaged by the pressure screw, and struts disposed between the bridge piece and the said closing cap, and having bearings at their opposite ends in connection therewith, each of said struts including two lapping parts, having their outer ends free, one of said parts being provided with an ofiset bearing adjacent its free outer end, for the reception of the inner end of the other part, and fusible solder normally connecting the inner lapping ortions of the parts of each strut, as descri ed.

HOLLIS BRANSCOMB LONG.

Witnesses RAYMOND GRAVES, C. F. TAYLoR. 

